37 facts about Team Gai
by Kamikaze Pedestrian
Summary: A number of short moments in the history of Team Gai, from them meeting each other to the present. A little humour, a little angst and lots of love.


These are the result of a meme I had in my LJ, where I had my f-list ask me for facts about Naruto characters from my own pseudo-canon. I had a lot of requests for Team Gai, and later I alterated them a little, put them in chronological order and posted them here.

Comments and criticism are as always more than welcome.

* * *

1. It could be a great team, Gai thinks when looking at his new students. Two taijutsu users, both with distinct fighting styles, and a weapon master for backup. If he can only come up with a way to keep them from bickering all the time, they will become undefeatable.

2. Neji goes home from meeting his new team for the first time with a lump of frustration in his throat at the thought of spending an indefinite amount of years together with those people. He has to make jounin as fast as possible.

3. It's only natural that Tenten starts training with Neji. He's a genius, the others are insane, and she wants to become a real ninja - not a clown.

4. Lee fights for four reasons. For himself, for Gai sensei to be proud of him, to defeat Neji and for Tenten to look at him with that pure admiration she only shows for Neji.

5. The fact that Tenten is a girl complicates things, and in some situations Gai isn't quite sure how to deal with her. He can't very well hit her, and a hug would seem highly inappropriate. His hand stops a few centimeters from her shoulder, never daring to rest itself there.

6. She's mostly treated the same ways as the boys, given the same amount of advice and expected to work just as hard as them. Still something is different; she finds it in the way Gai's voice isn't as loud when he talks to her and how he's always careful to avoid touching her when he hands her a kunai.

7. Lee never really resents Neji. It is his beliefs and opinions rather than the boy himself he wants to pummel into the ground.

8. Neji never really resents Lee. He saves his resentment for less insignificant people.

9. It's not just Gai's encouraging words or his prideful boasting that makes Lee straighten his back and shake of some of the resentment he has for himself. It's the way Gai looks at him seeing not just the one he is, but the one he can become.

10. In an attempt of imitating the chaos and tumult she will meet on the battlefield, Gai shouts 'youth' at the top of his voice every time Tenten gets ready to throw a shuriken. After an hour she breaks down in sobs. Gai supresses the slight pang of guilt when seeing her teary face, contorted by frustration and anger. She will thank him later.

11. While Gai's punches only hurt for a few minutes, the warmth from one of his hugs can last for days.

12. She would never admit it and it's nothing she's proud of, but sometimes when she sees Gai-sensei while out in the village Tenten will cross the street for fear he will do something to embarrass her.

13. Gai knows that Tenten won't always want to recognize him when they meet on their days off. He can't say it doesn't hurt, but he always pretends not to notice.

14. When Tenten sees the scars on Lee's hands the first time she doesn't say anything, just shows him her own, covered with tiny cuts, and with nails that will never be allowed to be grown out and painted.

15. "You're not my father", Neji growls between gritted teeth.  
"And you are not my son", Gai answers, meeting Neji's eyes until the boy looks away.

16. Neji's first fight in the chuunin exams makes Gai very disappointed. In the Hyuuga, for not bringing their children up in a way that won't make them resent each other. In Neji, for breaking his promises and intentionally trying to hurt his cousin, even though she is a far inferior fighter. But most of all, he is disappointed in himself, for once again failing to reach through to his student

17. Neji looks pale and fragile in the hospital bed, so unlike his normal self. Gai is quiet, so is Lee, both standing together with Tenten by the bedside. She looks at their serious faces and feels strangely ashamed.

18. Neji never apologizes to him, nor does he ever tell him he was wrong. Too Lee however, Neji suggesting to spar with him freely is all he ever needed to hear.

19. Lee never talks about any of their old arguments, and Neji is thankful for it. He hopes that he someday will be able to bring up the subject himself.

20. Lee is lying on the ground, once again beaten, humiliated, crushed. The sound of steps has him look up, and there is Tenten, reaching out her hand to him. After a moment of hesitation he takes it, letting her help him on his feet again.

21. There is pride, joy and beautiful moments he will keep in his heart for the rest of his life, but also nights when Gai wakes up terrified of a responsibility that might be too big for him, and that will drag all of them down, should he fail

22. Sakura becomes Tsunades apprentice and her dream is gone, leaving an empty space too wide for any other future plans to fill. Tenten looks at Lee, at his straight back and confident poses, and feels smaller and more lost than ever before.

23. At sixteen Lee has had to accept a few things. He will never defeat Neji and Tenten will never look at him the same way she used to look at his teammate. But when they're all huddled up together for warmth during a wintertime mission, he thinks that maybe he's fine with it after all.

24. For a long time Tenten has been content just trying to score a hit on Neji from a distance, but as of late she has started circling closer, searching for the blind spot.

25. The reason Neji doesn't spar with Tenten as often as before is that he's starting to fear one of her kunai is going to hit him some day. It would disrupt a power balance he has every intention of preserving.

26. "...And now that I am chuunin I might be able to protect you as well, Gai-sensei!" Lee says, beaming towards him, and then he continues to say the words Gai has been both dreading and hoping to hear for many years now. "Because you're my precious person."

28. When he tells his team he has passed the jounin exam, Neji is terrified to see big tears start streaming down Gai's face,and even more so when his teacher violently wraps his arms around him. Struggling madly to break free from the forced embrace he desperately tries to keep a treacherous smile from invading his face and encourage Gai further. He doesn't quite succeed

29. Neji may be a jounin, but he never mentions the possibility of leaving the team to his teacher, and is secretly relieved when no one asks why he's still staying with them.

30. Tenten has learned to block out her teacher's speeches and to just ignore his silly challenges. But when he shows up to morning practice after having ran laps in the rain, the spandex hugging his body more tightly than usual, she can't keep her eyes from wandering downwards and she never seems to be able to find a handkerchief to wipe her bleeding nose.

31. Neji has never asked Gai for suggestions to his stance, but when they come back from Sand country he does, keeping his eyes fixed on a point to Gai's left while speaking. When he touches the point between Neji's shoulder's he can sense the boy tensing at first, then slowly relaxing under his hands.

32. Nothing spurs Tenten on more than a teasing comment from Lee, accusing her of being lazy or tired too early. He knows this as well, judging from the glint in his eyes.

33. Some days days Lee still feels the despair of never being good enough, of never raching the heights where Neji stands. Other days he clearly sees the stressed look in Neji's eyes while they're sparring, and it makes him feel as if he's already there.

34. Some days Neji wishes Lee would just stop this stupid rival game and move on. Other days his biggest fear is that Lee will do just that.

35. With Neji she doesn't feel like a burden when leaning against his shoulder or being supported by him when her stamina runs out, because when he lets go he will expect her to stand on her own again.

36. Neji doesn't fight for any precious persons; his reasons are his and his alone. But sometimes he thinks that maybe, just maybe, his teacher and teammates might be some of those reasons.

37. If you asked Gai what his greatest accomplishment has been, the answer would come without a moment of hesitation. His team.


End file.
